Do I really need those x-rays?
Over the years we have encountered the question of "Do I really need x-rays?". The truth of the matter is that everyone needs to have x-rays at some point. Everyone is different and therefore need to have x-rays taken at different intervals.
Why?
Dental x-rays allow us to evaluate areas that we cannot see with the naked eye. The most common spot for new decay to form is at the contact point or where the teeth touch each other. This area is usually a tight spot that food/sugar/bacteria become lodged. Looking in your mouth everything may look fine, however x-rays can show us more. X-rays also show us the ligament and bone around the roots of your teeth. A common analogy we use is that a visual exam is like seeing the tip of an iceberg. Our hope is to use these x-rays to find small issues and take care of them before they turn into big/painful problems.
Are they safe?
As with many things in medicine, we go by "Risk vs. Benefit". We want to make sure that the benefit to having an x-rays outweighs the risk. Dental x-rays involve a very low dose of radiation. When taking x-rays during your recall exam, we typically take 4-7 films depending on your mouth. This exposes you to about the same amount of radiation as if you sat on a 7 hour flight. These x-rays may be taken every 6 months if you have a high decay rate, every year for average-moderate decay rate, and every 2 years for a low decay rate. If we avoid taking these x-rays because "nothing hurts" or "they cost too much", much bigger problems could arise causing pain, costly restorative procedures, and tooth loss.
To reduce your level of exposure, we use the fastest speed of film available, a short x-ray cone, and a lead apron with thyroid collar.
Different Types of X-rays
A bitewing x-ray shows the crowns or several upper and lower teeth at the same time. These are used to see decay as well as assess your bone level around the teeth.
A periapical x-rays shows us the crown and root of the teeth. These are used to show the apex of the root to assess for abscess infection, impacted teeth, fractures and to evaluate the periodontal ligament space around the tooth.
A "full mouth series" (FMX) consists of 18 x-rays combining bitewing and periapical. A FMX or Panoramic x-rays are typically done for new patients and then about every 5 years after.
A panoramic x-ray is one x-rays that shows the upper and lower teeth, large portions of the jaws, and other structures. It us used to detect, unerupted teeth, impacted teeth, cysts, tumors, abscesses, root fragments, and other conditions of the jaws. A FMX or Panoramic x-rays are typically done for new patients and then about every 5 years.
-Dr. Tomei's Office-
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1-734-261-7555